Skip to main content

Thailand’s road safety plan makes novel step

A novel approach to improving road safety is being made in Thailand. The country is now making it compulsory for convicted drink drivers to visit hospital morgues. This move is being handled by the Thai Probation Department and forms part of a series of measures intended to improve road safety in Thailand. The aim of the programme is to scare drivers committing DUI offences into avoiding reoffending. The country has the second highest rate of road fatalities in the world, according to a report by the World
June 22, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A novel approach to improving road safety is being made in Thailand. The country is now making it compulsory for convicted drink drivers to visit hospital morgues. This move is being handled by the Thai Probation Department and forms part of a series of measures intended to improve road safety in Thailand. The aim of the programme is to scare drivers committing DUI offences into avoiding reoffending. The country has the second highest rate of road fatalities in the world, according to a report by the World Health Organisation, with its risk of road death second only to Libya. Since the scheme was initiated over 1,700 drivers convicted of DUI offences have visited hospital morgues. The official data records 11,370 deaths in Thailand from road crashes in 2015, with drink driving being a major factor. However it is widely assumed that the actual death tolls is far higher, with many more people dying a period after crashes have occurred or with road deaths simply not being recorded.

Related Content

  • India's road safety management innovations
    February 27, 2012
    Rohit Baluja is a man with a mission, and that is to help reduce the grim accident toll on India's roads, the worst in the world. Baluja, a shoemaker by trade, has been studying for a PhD in civil engineering, and this has involved regular trips to Birmingham, UK, to complete his doctorate. All this seems far removed from 18 years ago when in December 1991, using much of his own money, he founded the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), the only organisation in India that conducts accident investiga
  • Kuwait's road safety route ahead
    March 5, 2012
    The Transport Ministry in Kuwait is looking to improve road safety and is at present evaluating different strategies to reduce the vehicle accident rate in the country.
  • France’s road safety stalls for 2022
    July 28, 2023
    France’s road safety levels stalled for 2022.
  • Brazil sees major road safety improvement
    November 14, 2014
    Brazil is benefiting from a boost in its road safety levels. Official data shows that vehicle crashes accounted for 40,500 fatalities in 2013, a decrease of 10% from the previous year. The figures show that this is the biggest drop in road fatalities since 1998, when the death rate was reduced by 13%. The road safety gain has been achieved largely by much tougher enforcement of existing rules banning drink driving and speeding. Brazil’s road safety levels are not good, with an average of 20 fatalities/100,0